Being a finder wasn't hard. She hardly had to do anything. Sometimes, she was called out to hunt lost game but it hardly ever happened. So, to get used to being in a pack, Winterwind took it upon herself to go through the pack and ask if anybody was looking for something. Not only did it keep her in practise, it helped her get to know her 'employers'. Today, the winter air chilled her to her very core and made her teeth chatter. However, she was still bent on doing her daily ritual of helping whoever in the pride. "Gods above, it's cold," she muttered to herself, under her breath. Maybe she should have stayed in her den today. Looking about, she spotted a female she'd seen before. What her name was, she couldn't remember, but she'd seen her healing some cubs from a sickness. Seemed colds were in season still. So, this was who she would work for today, if this female needed help.
"Hello there?" She called, from a safe distance away. "I'm Winterwind and I'm a Finder. Do you need help finding anything? Herbs, patients, other healers?" She was very direct and to the point today, wasn't she?
Skygaze was going to be in so. Much. Trouble. Coolbreeze was busy with her pups and so much of her healing responsibility had fallen on Skygaze's shoulders. This was much to the novice healer's dismay, as Coolbreeze made everything look so simple and effortless. This was not there case for Skygaze, no. Despite the hours that Coolbreeze had spent trying to teach Skygaze everything that she would need to know in order to blossom into a great healer, Skygaze had found it difficult to catch on.
And now she'd lost Coolbreeze's turtle shell, the one that the older wild dog kept her healing salve in. She'd learned the specific mixture during her travels throughout the years, and had trusted Skygaze to take care of it. Frustrated, the young wild dog female let out a soft whine, one that was interrupted by a voice that called out to her.
Perking her ears, she turned around and caught sight of the female. "Greetings," she hailed in return, bright blue eyes lightening with excitement. Need help finding anything? Why yes, yes she did need help. "As a matter of fact I do need assistance," she yelped excitedly, prancing a little. "I lost something very important to my mentor. A turtle shell with some green-looking salve in it. Have you seen it?"
A turtle shell? Oh! Interesting. Green eyes sparkled when the other had said yes and her tail wagged, clearly happy to have something to do. "A turtle shell full of green salve. I haven't seen it, but I can help. Do you remember the last place you put it?" She couldn't track for it right now; she didn't know what it smelled like. But it seemed this female was in a certain amount of disress when she had asked. It was always good to be needed. Even if it was just her services. Her ears flicked before she sniffed about and then smiled, eager to hear the answer. "I can sniff the spot and get a scent on it, then help you track. I bet it's not too far unless a pup carried it away. Is the salve toxic to eat?"
This was so she knew how much of a hurry she was in to find this turtle shell. Besides, it was a shell. How hard could it be to find?
"Yes," she said brightly, tail swishing about with exuberance. She did remember the last place she'd seen it, that was a good place to start. "It was in my den, which is this way." Skygaze took off in her usual peppy step, continuing her senseless jabbering as she walked. "Coolbreeze has been gone many months researching all the healing ways of the prides across the savannah. She got this turtle shell in a pride where the lions live in temples or something." She nodded sagely."Then she came home not long ago and started teaching me everything she knows." Skygaze looked a little sad before continuing, "Then she had pups and of course she has to look after them. I tried to help but I stepped on one of their tails and she told me that maybe I should just keep track of her herbs and offer help to anyone that needs it, which is what I was doing when I lost that salve!"
She stopped outside of a den, one she gestured to with a paw, "I left the salve in here just this morning. I went out to look for some special plants that she was running low on and when I got back it was gone. I don't think it's toxic to eat..." she sounded unsure of that answer, though.
She stayed a good pace away from her, not wanting to get in personal space, or pop some sort of bubble or anything. She leaned that not everyone she'd met was all touchy-feely. Which made her not touchy-feely either. Winterwind listened earnestly and gave a smile. Pups. She wanted to have them someday. Of course she did, didn't every female? Her two mothers did. Her real mother did, so she did too. It must be instinct or something.
However, seeing this younger female fumble about drew her back to her task at hand. When the other gestured to the spot, she moved in and sniffed at it, then sniffed at the ground and arched a brow. "This might be odd, but.." She stepped closer to the female, sniffing and then back to the spot and shook her head. This wasn't just her scent. Perhaps the scent of her teacher, or maybe a pup wandered in? Either way. She stepped bac and started sniffing around the spot outside of the den and picked on a specific scent. "I smell the salve. I think a pup took off with it."
Sure enough, as she moved some leaves, she spotted green liquid things on the dirt. "Well, it went this way." She jerked her head and continued walking, nose to the ground, eyes flcking this way and that.
Brows drawn down in concentration Skygaze watched the other female work. She was a pretty wild dog and had the nicest green eyes that Skygaze had ever seen. "A pup, huh?" Skygaze looked dubiously outside of her den. Pups usually stayed well away from her. She wasn't sure why, really, but it might have something to do with the fact that she wasn't the most graceful wild dog female on the savannah, and she was constantly tripping and falling and fumbling along. No pup in their right mind wanted to be trampled, so it really made sense that they stayed at a safe distance from Skygaze.
"By the way I'm Skygaze," she blurted, following after the brown female. She was so certain of herself, Skygaze noted wistfully. She wished she could have that same self-assurance and grace. Frowning just slightly when a trace of the salve was found, Skygaze couldn't help but wonder exactly who or why someone would've wanted to take that shell.
"I hope we find it," she mumbled, close on the heels of the Finder.
"We'll find it. Don't worry, Skygaze." She had a pretty name, and colors to be envious of, this Skygaze. Something about her made Winterwind want to get to know her better. She was cute, and seemed really clumsy and nervous. It reminded her of one of her siblings. Which one, she couldnt' remember. Winterwind couldn't really remember how many siblings she had, how many were boys or girls, who they were, names, anything. She couldn't even remmeber how own real mother. And for that, she felt like the worst daughter in the world.
"I saw you a few days ago. I was going to talk to you then, but you seemed so busy trying to figure out what herb was what... I decided to leave you be." It was fun, actually, watching this Skygaze. That wasn't the first time she'd noticed her. No, the first time had been when Winterwind got her, day one, and she was walking around the pack. A loud, crashing noise caught hers, and most of the pack's, attention. And there was Skygaze, covered in dust and looking so embarrassed. Naturally, Winterwind kept this bit to herself.
More salve spotted ahead told her she was still on the right path. Slowing to a stop, her face screwed up as she let out a sneeze and then sniffled. "Dust."
Skygaze gave a small distressed whine, though it swiftly diminished when she heard the reassuring words from Winterwind. "I'm busy a lot," she sighed, "there is just so much to remember and I'd hate to make anyone sick. It's not like I'm just a den digger or something like that, I have, you know, responsibilities. Like you do," she finished, peering in the direction that Winterwind was moving. She could see the dots of salve now on the ground and she was so intent on the trail that she very nearly ran into Winterwind when she stopped and sneezed.
Of course, Skygaze sneezed too, but there was nothing graceful about it. Not like Winterwind's sneeze. No, Skygaze let out a bellowing gust of wind and then blinked her eyes as if she had surprised herself by making so much noise.
"I hate dust," she said softly, snorking loudly. "Are we going the right way?"
The other sneeze caught Winterwind by surprise and she laughed at it, nodding. "Yes, yes. We are going the right way." Shaking her head a bit more, the dull brown female lowered her head back to the ground and continued to sniff the ground for the shell and salve. Definately, they were on the right track, and she felt they were very close to it. "Do you know of any genets or birds? Perhaps one of them took it, thinking it was a toy or something and realized what it was and dropped it off somewhere." She stopped, sniffed around again and turned left. Apparently whatever took it was going somewhere specific and not to just play with it.
It wasn't too much longer when she spotted the shell next to a rock. The salve had been spilled out of it and some kind of bird was sleeping next to that. Winterwind nodded her head toward it and grinned. Object found! "So it had been a bird." They were so silly, these birds lately.
Skygaze was hot on the trail of Winterwind, shaking her head in response to the question about knowing a genet or a bird. "No, I don't, but believe me I'm never letting that shell out of my sight again," she said fervently. When Winterwind caught sight of the shell, Skygaze ran towards it and shooed the bird away. With an indignant squawk and flapping of wings the bird took off and Skygaze instantly let out a cry of dismay when she saw all of the salve missing from the shell.
"Oh no, oh no, oh no," she mumbled nudging the shell with a paw. "It's all gone. I hope she can make more. Oh what a terrible day this has been," she cried, leaning down to pick up the shell in her mouth.
A laugh bubbled forth at the bird and then just watched as Skygaze get rid of the bird and start to panic. At least the turtle shell was found and it wasn't broken. Maybe saying that would help this female out. "At least it isn't broken? If nothing else, you can ask your teacher to make some more. Explain to her what happened. It coudl be done when her pups are asleep, right?" Calming others down was not her strongest suit. In fact, interacting with other dogs wasn't her strong suit. But she'd try as long as it took until it came as a second nature.
Skygaze nodded morosely, setting the shell down near her front paws so that she could thank the Finder for doing her job so well. Her words were spoken with heartfelt gratitude. "Thank you so much for your help. If you hadn't come along I would have never found this. I'm sure Coolbreeze can make more of the salve, you're right, it's just that... Oh, I just hate being a bother." She frowned slightly, then shook her head.
"If you ever need anything just ask, okay? You know where I live," she chuckled, "and I should get back to work. She'll need more materials to make the salve, so I've got a long day ahead of me. Thankfully I know where they all grow." That being said she bent down again to pick up the shell in her mouth once more.
Winterwind nodded and laughed softly as she listened again. This female was interesting. She could see Skygaze becoming a close friend. "It was not a problem, Skygaze. Not at all. It... was rather fun. If you lose anything else, come find me. I live that way." She pointed in a nearly random direction. With that, she nodded to the other and moved through the pack again, off to find some other person to help.
